Posted May 1, 201114 yr As one of their bank holiday specials, BBC Radio 2 is counting down the 40 biggest one hit wonders in the UK tomorrow, information about the programme is listed in the link below: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010mwjb They are classifying a one hit wonder as an artist who has had one hit in the top 40 and has never had any other top 40 singles. Tracks that have been released or charted more than once do count. 1 Band Aid 1984 - Do They Know Its Xmas 2 Various Artists - Perfect Day 3 Band Aid 20 - Do They Know Its Xmas 4 The Teletubbies - The Teletubbies Say Eh Oh 5 Simon Park Orchestra - Eye Level 6 The Archies - Sugar Sugar 7 Matt Cardle - When Worlds Collide 8 Lou Bega - Mambo No.5 9 Windsor Davis & Don Estelle - Whispering Grass 10 Chef - Chocolate Salty Balls 11 X Factor Finalists - Hero 12 Goombay Dance Band - Seven Tears 13 Lena Martell - One Day At A Time 14 Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddap Yer Face 15 Mr. Oizo - Flatbeat 16 The Tweets - The Birdie Song 17 Owl City - Fireflies 18 Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful 19 Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You 20 Yolanda Be Cool vs D Cup - We Speak No Americano 21 The Rembrandts - I'll Be There For You 22 Michael Andrew & Gary Jules - Mad World 23 Toni Basil - Mickey 24 Nena - 99 Red Balloons 25 Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride 26 Helping Haiti - Everyday Hurts 27 Brian & Michael - Matchstalk Man, Matchstalk Cats & Dogs 28 Clive Dunn - Grandad 29 Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song (Aserje) 30 M.A.S.H. - Theme From M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless) 31 Renee & Renato - Save Your Love 32 PHD - I Won't Let You Down 33 Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky 34 St. Winifred's School Choir - There's No One Quite Like Grandma 35 Brighouse & Rastrick Big Band - The Floral Dance 36 Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F 37 Sam Sparro - Black & Gold 38 Ashford & Simpson - Solid 39 Nicole - A Little Peace 40 Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock & Roll ==================================== I have added estimated sales, using published figures as 'markers' and filling in the rest from the position of records in old charts and guestimates. If anyone has any suggestions these are gratefully received. Title / Artist / Year / Est. Sales 1. Do They Know It’s Christmas? - Band Aid 1984 3,670,000 2. Perfect Day - Various 1997 1,550,000 3. Do They Know It’s Christmas? - Band Aid 20 2004 1,150,000 4. Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh! - Teletubbies 1997 1,110,000 5. Eye Level - Simon Park Orchestra 1972 1,005,000 6. Sugar Sugar - Archies 1969 1,000,000 7. When We Collide - Matt Cardle 2010 950,000 8. Mambo No. 5 (A little bit of...) - Lou Bega 1999 880,000 9. Whispering Grass - Windsor Davies and Don Estelle 1975 875,000 10. Chocolate Salty Balls (PS I Love You) - Chef 1998 870,000 11. Hero - The X Factor Finalists 2008 815,000 12. Seven Tears - Goombay Dance Band 1982 740,000 13. One Day At A Time - Lena Martell 1979 730,000 14. Shaddap You Face - Joe Dolce Music Theatre 1981 730,000 15. Flat Beat - Mr. Oizo 1999 685,000 16. Birdie Song - The Tweets 1981 680,000 17. Fireflies - Owl City 2009 680,000 18. Together We Are Beautiful - Fern Kinney 1980 675,000 19. Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust 1998 670,000 20. We Speak No Americano - Yolanda BE Cool vs D Cup 2010 655,000 21. I’ll Be There For You - The Rembrandts 1995 640,000 22. Mad World - Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules 2003 630,000 23. Mickey - Toni Basil 1982 625,000 24. 99 Red Balloons - Nena 1984 625,000 25. Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder 1984 620,000 26. Everybody Hurts - Helping Haiti 2010 620,000 27. Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs - Brian and Michael 1978 615,000 28. Grandad - Clive Dunn 1970 605,000 29. The Ketchup Song (Asereje) - Las Ketchup 2002 600,000 30. Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless) - MASH 1980 590,000 31. Save Your Love - Renée & Renato 1982 585,000 32. I Won’t Let You Down - Ph.D. 1982 575,000 33. Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum 1970 565,000 34. There’s No-One Quite Like Grandma - St. Winifred’s School Choir 1980 560,000 35. The Floral Dance - Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band 1977 550,000 36. Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer 1985 545,000 37. Black And Gold - Sam Sparro 2008 540,000 38. Solid - Ashford and Simpson 1984 530,000 39. A Little Peace - Nicole 1982 520,000 40. I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 1982 510,000 Thanks to Andy (at Haven and Buzzjack) for his input. ^^by SimonW Edited May 3, 201114 yr by Mart!n
May 1, 201114 yr I'm seriously hoping Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup make it on the list. :drama: Unlikely though as its only sold 600k+
May 1, 201114 yr Author I'm seriously hoping Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup make it on the list. :drama: Unlikely though as its only sold 600k+ That would be great, the problem is that the song is less than a year old and the charts company may not class that as a one hit wonder because it could be argued that the artists could still at some point in the future get another top 40 hit although I'm hoping that's not the case as I would love to see owl city there as well
May 1, 201114 yr I'd love YBC to make it too, but I agree. I just don't think 600,000 will be enough to make the top 40.
May 1, 201114 yr That would be great, the problem is that the song is less than a year old and the charts company may not class that as a one hit wonder because it could be argued that the artists could still at some point in the future get another top 40 hit although I'm hoping that's not the case as I would love to see owl city there as well Some new songs in the chart would be great I know. Anyway there's not much chance that YBC&DC and Owl City will get follow up T40 singles anytime soon (especially the former as they are a dance act)
May 1, 201114 yr I wonder what will be on the list? I think: The Archies with Sugar Sugar? Being a million seller, I imagine that being quite high up.
May 1, 201114 yr I wonder if they'll include Three Lions or not in this list? That should surely be excluded ads the Lightning Seeds had other hits. Otherwise the list would be full of "R & B Bloke featuring Some Woman" and "Female Singer featuring Male Rapper".
May 1, 201114 yr On, collabs, if all the artists are one-hit wonder, they'd still be included though, I guess? Like with Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP. They're two different artists, I think?
May 1, 201114 yr If I was making the rules then a collaboration where none of the acts had other hits would count. The question with Yolanda Be Cool and D Cup would be whether there is any time limit. As their one and only hit - so far - was less than a year ago, should they count as a one hit wonder?
May 1, 201114 yr The Archies certainly have the longest run at number one of any one hit wonder with 8 weeks if I recall. Steve Brookstein is going to be in there but I should think there'll be a large number of novelty hits from the 70s and 80s - Clive Dunn, Benny Hill, St Winifred's School Choir, Joe Dolce, Rene and Renato, The Tweets... I guess it also depends whether it's just top 40 hits, I suspect it will be. So someone who bombed with a follow up at no.52 would count.
May 1, 201114 yr Would Steve Brookestein have sold enough to make the top 40? I know he won X Factor, but I recall his sales apparently being very low in comparison to the X Factor winners that came after him.
May 1, 201114 yr The Archies certainly have the longest run at number one of any one hit wonder with 8 weeks if I recall. Steve Brookstein is going to be in there but I should think there'll be a large number of novelty hits from the 70s and 80s - Clive Dunn, Benny Hill, St Winifred's School Choir, Joe Dolce, Rene and Renato, The Tweets... I guess it also depends whether it's just top 40 hits, I suspect it will be. So someone who bombed with a follow up at no.52 would count. St Winifred's School Choir also performed on Brian and Michael's Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs although they were not credited.
May 2, 201114 yr Probably featured will be quite a few charity records - Band Aid, Ferry Aid, the BBC's "Perfect Day" etc., as well as a number of kid's novelty records - Teletubbies for example? Edited May 2, 201114 yr by mickeypops
May 2, 201114 yr That should surely be excluded ads the Lightning Seeds had other hits. Otherwise the list would be full of "R & B Bloke featuring Some Woman" and "Female Singer featuring Male Rapper". Oh yeah, I forgot The Lightning Seeds were on Three Lions. Dumb!
May 2, 201114 yr The Archies certainly have the longest run at number one of any one hit wonder with 8 weeks if I recall. Steve Brookstein is going to be in there but I should think there'll be a large number of novelty hits from the 70s and 80s - Clive Dunn, Benny Hill, St Winifred's School Choir, Joe Dolce, Rene and Renato, The Tweets... I guess it also depends whether it's just top 40 hits, I suspect it will be. So someone who bombed with a follow up at no.52 would count. Rene & Renato did have another top 75 single in 1983.
May 2, 201114 yr Rene & Renato did have another top 75 single in 1983. It does say in the first post it's based on one top 40 hit only.
May 2, 201114 yr Author 15 minutes to go, I'll be taking you through the show, talk about the songs in the countdown, don't go off topic and most important of all, enjoy yourselves
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